984e, 
P898 


^?fye  Unner  Consciousness 

How  to  Awaken  and  Direct  It 
SWAMI  PRAKASHANANDA 


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^?t)e  Uttiter  (Tonsciousness 

How  to  Awaken  and  Direct  It 

SWAMI  JPRAKASHANANDA 


Published  by 

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OF  SAN  FRANaSCO 

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Copyright,  1921, 

by 

Vedanta  Society  of  S.  F. 


THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

How  to  Awaken  and  Direct  It 


In  theoretical  as  well  as  applied  psychology 
no  term  is  more  misleading,  or  confusing  than 
the  term  consciousness.  We  use  the  term  often 
in  our  conversation ;  we  come  across  it  in  our 
study;  but  when  we  are  asked  to  define  it  pro- 
perly, to  explain  its  significance,  its  meaning, 
or  the  idea  for  which  that  word  stands,  we  are 
unable  to  do  so.  And  that  is  because  there  are 
so  many  varied  ideas  concerning  consciousness. 
There  are  so  many  aspects  of  consciousness, 
there  are  so  many  states  of  consciousness  that 
we  get  mixed  up — that  is,  we  confuse  one  with 
the  other.  So  we  must  know  thoroughly  the 
true  significance  of  the  term.  Then  we  can 
make  such  distinctions  as  inner  consciousness 
and  outer  consciousness. 

What  is  truly  meant  by  consciousness,  or 
what  is  the  principle  back  of  that  term  ?  There 
are  many  ideas  which  cannot  be  expressed  pro- 
perly for  lack  of  words,  or  lack  of  terms.  The 
word  consciousness  is  really  derived  from  the 
Latin  root  scio,  to  know,  and  con,  together;  so 
the  word  consciousness  from  the  derivative 
meaning    would    signify:    to    know    together. 


481550 


4  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

We  use  the  term  generally  in  the  sense  of  being 
conscious  of  a  fact.  That  is,  consciousness 
means  knowing  an  object,  as  it  were ;  knowing 
something.  But  the  word  consciousness  really 
indicates  two  things — subject  and  object.  It 
implies  the  duality  of  existence.  There  is  one 
who  is  the  knower,  the  subject,  the  ego,  the 
perceiver.  I  know  it;  I  am  conscious  of  it;  I 
perceive  it;  I  think  about  it.  Therefore  there 
is  always  the  subject,  the  ego — I — as  the  back- 
ground of  any  form  of  consciousness. 

Then  there  must  be  something  to  be  conscious 
of,  something  which  we  perceive,  something 
which  we  know,  something  which  we  under- 
stand, and  that  something  is  the  object.  So, 
"knowing  together"  means  we  know  the  sub- 
ject and  object  together — that  is,  they  both 
exist;  one  cannot  exist  without  the  other.  So 
wherever  there  is  a  subject,  there  is  also  an  ob- 
ject. That  means  that  wherever  there  is  a 
thinker,  there  must  be  something  to  think 
about;  otherwise  there  is  no  meaning  back  of 
the  term  "thinker".  "Whenever  we  use  the 
term  "perceiver",  we  must  know  that  there  is 
something  to  be  perceived.  The  same  is  true 
of  consciousness.  Whenever  we  use  the  term 
"consciousness",  we  must  know  it  includes 
both — the  one  who  is  conscious  of  something, 
and  something  of  which  that  one  is  conscious. 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  AND  DIRECT  IT  5 

Therefore  the  word  "consciousness"  implies 
duality. 

There  is  another  meaning  back  of  "conscious- 
ness" which  we  often  fail  to  understand,  or 
about  which  we  do  not  stop  to  think  deeply. 
That  is  why  we  miss  it.  Consciousness  not  on- 
ly implies  the  idea  of  becoming  conscious  of  a 
thing,  or  the  state  of  being  conscious  of  some- 
thing, but  there  is  also  the  idea  of  identifica- 
tion back  of  it. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  identification?  By 
identification  we  mean  a  state  in  which  we  be- 
come almost  one  with  a  thing.  When  we  be- 
come one  with  a  thing  we  become  conscious  of 
it.  Of  course  ordinarily  we  may  not  be  wholly 
identified  with  it,  but  the  word  consciousness 
indicates  that,  and  judging  our  modes  of 
thought,  or  observing  the  practical  phases  of 
our  life,  we  shall  see  that  there  is  identification. 

Take  for  instance,  the  word  "body-conscious- 
ness". What  does  it  mean?  It  means  that  not 
only  are  we  conscious  of  the  body,  but  we  are 
also  identified  with  it.  I  can  not  separate  my- 
self from  the  body ;  I  am  almost  one  with  it.  1 
have  become  mixed  up,  as  it  were,  with  the 
body  and  its  conditions.  There  the  subject  or 
ego  is  hidden;  only  the  object  of  consciousness, 
the  object  of  perception  is  there.  So  that  is 
another  meaning  of  consciousness. 


6  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

The  deepest  and  purest  meaning  of  conscious- 
ness is  this :  the  absolute  consciousness.  There 
is  the  Sanskrit  word  "chit".  You  will  come 
across  that  word  in  the  study  of  the  Upani- 
shads,  in  the  Vedas,  in  the  Gita,  and  in  many 
such  books.  You  will  find  not  only  ancient 
sages,  but  the  sages  of  modern  times  have 
been  using  the  term  "Sat-chit-ananda",  mean- 
ing the  Divine  Spirit.  Sat-chit-ananda — what 
is  its  meaning?  It  means  absolute  existence, 
absolute  consciousness,  absolute  bliss.  These 
three  are  not  the  qualities  of  the  Divine  Spirit, 
but  they  are  the  essence — one  with  it.  So  chit 
is  the  word  of  pure  consciousness.  In  the  un- 
derstanding of  pure  consciousness,  we  have  to 
eliminate  the  duality  of  existence,  the  duality 
of  subject  and  object.  It  stands  alone;  it  is 
that  of  which  the  subject  and  object  are  lower 
manifestations,  or  expressions.  It  is  that 
which  makes  everything  possible,  which  gives 
life  and  soul  to  the  subject  and  object,  as  it 
were.  So  that  is  pure  consciousness,  the  basic, 
the  fundamental,  the  principle  back  of  every- 
thing that  is  indicated  by  pure  consciousness. 

There  is  a  beautiful  Sanskrit  verse  which  ex- 
presses this  idea. 

"Na  Tatra  Suryo  bhati  na  chandra  tarakam 
Nema  Vidyuto  bhanti  Kutoyam  agni 


HOW  TO  AiWlAKEN  AND  DIRECT  IT  7 

Tameva  bhantam  anubhati  sarvam 
Tasya  bhasha  Sarvamidam  bibhatf  (Kathopan- 
ishad,  Chap.  V.  15). 

In  describing  the  pure,  the  basic,  fundamen- 
tal principle  of  life  and  creation — the  pure 
light,  the  self-effulgent,  self-caused  Divine  In- 
telligence— Vedic  sages  sang  in  this  way: 
"There  the  sun  does  not  shine,  nor  the  moon, 
nor  the  lightning,  what  to  speak  of  the  mortal 
fire.  That  shining,  everything  shines;  by  its 
light  everything  is  illumined", — by  its  essence 
everything  becomes  full  of  consciousness. 

There  is  another  Sanskrit  word  which  ex- 
presses the  same  idea,  Kaivalyam,  the  state  of 
being  alone;  that  which  is  self-caused;  that 
which  is  not  dependent  on  anything ;  that  which 
is  freedom  itself;  which  is  above  everything. 
Do  you  see  ?  There  all  differentiation  vanishes 
— differentiation  of  subject  and  object,  I  and 
thou.  All  these  ideas  are  merged,  as  it  were,  in 
that  absolute  consciousness.  So  the  pure  con- 
sciousness is  that. 

However,  when  we  apply  the  term  conscious- 
ness in  our  daily  lives,  in  its  varied  relation  to 
various  channels  of  existence,  in  our  varied  ex- 
periences, in  different  states  and  condtions, 
we  have  to  understand  it  from  a  dualistic 
standpoint,  and  we  also  have  to  study  other 


8  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

phases  of  consciousness,  such  as  inner  conscious- 
ness and  outer  consciousness,  soul-conscious- 
ness and  body  consciousness.  All  these  terms 
we  bring  in  to  explain  the  different  details,  or 
the  different  stages  of  development,  or  the  dif- 
ferent stages  of  experience  through  which  we 
have  to  pass. 

In  order  to  be  able  to  understand  the  inner 
consciousness,  we  must  know  it  in  its  relation 
to  the  outer  consciousness.  The  light  can  be 
understood  only  in  its  relation  to  darkness. 
Praise  can  be  understood  only  in  its  relation 
to  blame.  Joy  can  be  understood  only  in  its  re- 
lation to  suffering  or  pain.  One  who  is  not 
really  hungry  cannot  really  appreciate  the 
value  of  food.  So,  many  ideas  exist  only  rela- 
tively. It  is  the  same  with  the  inner  and  outer 
consciousness.  We  must  understand  both — 
then  both  become  clear.  What  is  meant  then 
by  outer  consciousness?  Outer  consciousness 
means  consciousness  in  which  we  are  cognizant 
of  external  things — gross  forms,  gross  objects, 
sense  objects.  Now,  every  moment  of  our  lives, 
the  senses  bring  in  these  impressions.  The 
senses  come  in  touch  with  the  external  objects 
of  nature,  gross  things,  gross  objects,  objects 
of  vision,  objects  of  touch,  objects  of  taste.  All 
these  objects  of  perception  exist  in  gross  form, 
and  there  is  the  impression  within  ourselves,  or 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  ANI>  DIRECT  IT  9 

there  are  impressions  of  varied  sorts.  That  is 
outer  consciousness — consciousness  of  the  outei- 
world,  the  objective  world. 

I  am  not  going  to  enter  here  into  a  detailed 
exposition  of  what  is  called  idealism,  or  realism. 
But  outer  consciousness  must  mean  this  to  us: 
there  is  the  idea  of  objective  perception,  and 
there  is  the  objective  world.  We  know  that 
there  is  external  nature,  and  all  the  time  we 
are  impressed  with  this  idea.  So  when  we  can- 
not extricate  ourselves  from  the  realm  and  do- 
main of  forms  and  objects,  when  we  cannot  rise 
above  the  sense  perceptions — the  gross  sense 
perceptions — when  we  cannot  divest  our  minds 
of  these  externalities,  as  it  were,  then  you  will 
understand  this  state  to  be  the  outer  conscious- 
ness. 

Coming  nearer  the  practical  idea — there  is 
the  body-consciousness.  As  I  stated  previous- 
ly, that  means  that  we  are  conscious  of  the 
body,  the  body  in  all  its  phases,  in  all  its  senses, 
and  in  all  its  aspects. 

Then  there  is  a  consciousness  within  our- 
selves. You  may  say  that  only  through  mind 
can  we  understand  this,  only  through  thought 
processes  can  we  get  knowledge  of  external 
nature.  That  is  true,  but  in  order  to  explain 
the  inner  consciousness  properly,  I  have  to 
bring  in  this  idea  of  the  outer  consciousness 


10  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

where  all  these  things  exist;  where  there  are 
nothing  but  external  things,  nothing  but  sense 
impressions,  nothing  but  outer  objects  and  their 
impressions. 

What  is  meant  by  inner  consciousness?  In- 
ner consciousness  means :  consciousness  of  inner 
forces,  consciousness  of  inner  perceptions,  con- 
sciousness of  what  is  called  soul  energy,  con- 
sciousness of  the  Divine  in  the  soul.  That  is  a 
consciousness  of  something  distinct  and  sep- 
arate from  the  sense  impressions,  from  bodily 
conditions,  from  external  gross  objects,  from 
external  perceptions. 

Now  this  question  may  arise  in  your  mind: 
Why  should  we  try  to  awaken  our  inner  con- 
sciousness? What  benefit  do  we  gain  by  it? 
We  always  ask  that  question.  What  are  we 
going  to  gain  by  it?  Why  should  we  try  to 
arouse  the  inner  consciousness,  if  the  outer 
consciousness  is  as  explained?  What  harm  is 
there  in  living  in  the  outer  consciousness  only? 
Our  life  means  that,  our  life  means  the  varied 
duties  of  life — the  varied  responsibilities.  Our 
life  means  its  relation  to  our  fellow-beings,  to 
the  world,  to  so  many  material  things,  to  so 
many  objects,  to  so  many  phases  of  external 
life.  Our  life  means  all  this — and  what  is  the 
harm  in  living  in  that  state  of  consciousness? 
Why  should  we  try  to  awaken  our  inner  con- 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  AMD  DIRECT  IT  11 

sciousness?  Is  there  any  necessity  for  it?  Is 
it  absolutely  necessary — is  it  indispensably  ne- 
cessary to  enter  that  life  ?  Yes,  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  persons  in  all  walks  of  life. 
Why?  Because  while  living  in  the  outer  con- 
sciousness we  are  not  really  contented.  We 
always  complain,  either  openly  or  mentally. 
Something  is  always  lacking  in  our  life.  Just 
ask  yourself  this  question:  Are  we  really 
happy?  It  is  not  that  we  have  to  give  up  our 
external  life,  our  material  life.  It  is  not  that 
we  have  to  eliminate  all  these  things  complete- 
ly from  our  life.  No.  But  we  have  to  know 
where  we  stand,  and  we  have  to  understand  the 
purpose  and  the  meaning  of  our  external  life, 
or  outer  consciousness.  We  must  know  why 
we  have  to  go  through  life's  duties.  We  must 
know  why  we  have  to  perform  so  many  activi- 
ties. What  is  the  purpose?  What  is  the  idea 
back  of  it?  Why  are  those  condemned  who 
neglect  their  duties,  who  shirk  their  respon- 
sibilities, who  do  not  try  to  perform  their 
functions,  their  duties  properly?  The  idea  is 
this:  First  of  all,  we  are  ignorant  of  the 
meaning  and  purpose  of  life.  We  cannot  ex- 
plain definitely  the  reason  for  all  these  activi- 
ties. We  do  not  know  why  we  live  in  the  midst 
of  sense  perceptions.  Why  are  we  experienc- 
ing these  things  ?     We  have  certain  desires,  we 


12  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

have  certain  tendencies,  certain  emotions,  cer- 
tain passions.  We  are  regulated  by  them;  we 
are  carried  away  by  them  against  our  will. 
We  are,  as  it  were,  enslaved  by  certain  things, 
and  we  go  on,  not  knowing  whence  we  have 
come  or  whither  we  are  going,  or  what  is  the 
mission  of  our  life.  That  is  why  the  question 
was  asked  in  ancient  times  by  the  Vedic  sages : 

"What  is  that,  knowing  which,  everything 
else  will  be  known?"  What  is  that  fountain- 
head,  knowing  which,  we  shall  understand  the 
meaning  and  purpose  of  life — knowing  which, 
everything  would  be  explained?  Everything 
appears  to  be  detached,  purposeless,  meaning- 
less. What  is  that,  knowing  which,  everything 
would  be  illumined?.  That  is  the  question. 
That  is  the  desire,  in  reality,  in  every  human 
heart.  We  may  not  be  able  to  explain  it;  we 
may  not  know  it  properly  at  times;  but  it  is 
there,  and  only  the  sages  have  put  the  question 
definitely.  That  is  why  we  must  try  to  get  into 
that  realm  of  pure  consciousness,  as  I  ex- 
plained. There  are  different  grades  of  inner 
consciousness.  The  deeper  we  search,  the 
more  we  understand,  the  more  will  that  pure 
consciousness  be  unfolded  which  alone  holds 
the  key.  To  illuminate,  to  unfold,  to  explain 
everything  in  our  life,  we  must  come  to  that. 

There  is  another  reason  why  we  must  try  to 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  AMD  DIRECT  IT  13 

go  beyond  the  outer  and  enter  into  the  inner 
consciousness,  and  that  is  this:  There  is  al- 
ways reaction  in  our  life — that  is,  when  we  live 
in  the  external  consciousness,  there  is  always 
reaction.  Suffering  is  caused  by  reaction.  Our' 
miseries,  our  pains,  our  complaints,  our  doubts, 
our  troubles,  our  disillusionments,  our  despair, 
have  always  been  caused  by  the  outer  con- 
sciousness. For  instance,  when  we  live  in  the 
midst  of  sense  perceptions  we  want  to  possess 
certain  objects  which  we  have  perceived,  im- 
pressions of  which  have  been  gathered  through 
the  senses.  First  of  all,  the  senses  come  in 
touch  with  external  things.  It  may  be  a  little 
food,  a  little  form;  it  may  be  a  little  object; 
but  it  is  there.  That  impression  gets  hold  of 
us,  and  what  do  we  want  to  do?  We  want  to 
get  that  object;  we  want  to  possess  it;  we 'want 
to  own  it.  "When  we  cannot  own  it,  there  is 
suffering,  there  is  heart-burning. 

Suppose  I  love  some  object.  I  try  my  best 
to  possess  .it.  I  cannot  do  it.  Something 
stands  in  the  way  and  takes  it  away  from  me — 
snatches  it  away.  There  is  suffering.  There  is 
misery.  In  this  way  we  are  constantly  becom- 
ing dependent  on  external  things.  These  outer 
things,  these  external  things,  these  objects  of 
the  senses  get  hold  of  us.  They  enter  our  lives 
and  completely  hold  sway  over  us,  and  we  are 


14  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

carried  away  by  them.  Then  we  are  thrown 
back,  as  it  were,  into  ourselves;  because  na- 
ture's laws  work  relentlessly — and  there  are 
changes — there  are  separations. 

You  may  say  such  ideas  bring  gloominess, 
pessimism  into  our  lives.  What  difference  does 
it  make  if  we  become  a  little  gloomy,  or  if 
we  become  pessimistic?  What  has  your  op- 
timism given  us?  What  do  the  passing  joys 
bring  us?  They  bring  us  nothing  but  reaction. 
So-called  optimism  does  not  land  us  anywhere. 
It  rather  leads  us  into  complex  situations  and 
conditions.  Rather  we  should  hail  with  joy 
that  sort  of  pessimism,  true  pessimism,  which 
brings  us  face  to  face  with  the  truth,  which 
enables  us  to  see  things  in  their  true  color.  Yes, 
we  must  face  things  boldly.  It  is  not  simply  by 
patchwork  that  we  gain  in  life,  it  is  only  by 
bold  search  and  uncompromising  investigation. 
It  is  by  going  to  the  root  and  the  bottom  of 
things  that  we  gain — truly  gain — and  accom- 
plish something  which  is  worth  achieving.  So 
we  must  not  be  afraid  of  analysing  things  in  a 
deeper  way.  You  see  around  you  nature's 
changes  and  separations.  You  love  a  person. 
That  person  dies,  or  is  taken  away  to  other 
lands.  You  are  miserable  and  prostrated  with 
grief.  Again,  you  have  possessed  certain 
things  and  you  lose  them — you  lose  a  fortune 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  AND  DIRECT  IT  15 

in  a  few  days,  or  in  a  few  weeks,  or  in  a  few 
months.  Yon  are  overcome  with  sorrow.  That 
is  life,  and  that  is  what  is  meant  by  outer  con- 
sciousness. It  is  not  that  you  must  not  have 
possessions;  it  is  not  that  you  must  not  have 
good  homes;  it  is  not  that  you  must  not  love 
others.  But  do  it  knowingly;  do  it  not  as  a 
slave,  but  as  a  master;  not  as  a  dependent 
worm,  but  as  the  witness  you  should  approach 
these  things. 

Many  things  there  are  which  must  be  taken 
into  our  lives  necessarily.  Unhappily  we  de- 
lude ourselves;  we  forget  ourselves;  we  lose 
our  heads;  we  lose  our  judgment;  and  we  are 
carried  away  by  the  currents  of  life,  not  know- 
ing whither  we  are  going.  When  we  are  caught 
up  in  the  whirl  of  conditions,  when  we  are  lost 
in  the  labyrinthian  maze  of  circumstances, 
then  we  wake  up  for  a  while.  Again  we  forget. 
So  that  is  the  outer  consciousness,  which  has 
separations  everywhere.  You  cannot  depend 
upon  anything.  As  soon  as  you  depend  upon 
anything — lean  on  anything — it  is  taken  away 
from  you,  and  what  is  to  be  done?  That  is 
why  we  must  try  to  search  for  something  which 
is  more  internal,  which  is  not  so  changeable, 
on  whom,  or  on  which  you  can  depend  to  a 
greater  extent,  because  everything  is  relative 
until  we  get  to  the  Absolute.     We  must  find 


16  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

something  which  is  better,  which  is  greater. 
And  that  is  our  search — that  should  be  our 
search.  So,  while  living  a  life  of  outer  con- 
sciousness you  will  analyse  and  you  will  see 
how  all  your  complex  conditions  regarding 
which  you  complain,  all  the  entanglements 
which  we  notice  in  different  lives,  all  the  confu- 
sion and  friction  which  we  see  at  home  or 
abroad,  all  the  heart-burnings,  disillusionment 
and  suffering  which  we  notice  amongst  indi- 
viduals— all  these  can  be  traced  to  that  outer 
consciousness,  that  slavery,  that  dependence 
upon  the  material  things  of  life.  That  is  why 
we  have  to  open  up  our  inner  consciousness. 
That  is  why  we  want  to  know  if  there  is  any- 
thing beyond  the  veil  of  the  senses.  That  is 
why  we  must  know  whether  there  is  anything 
back  of  this  changeable  condition  of  the  senses 
and  this  changeable  condition  of  the  body. 

Now,  you  may  ask  the  question,  how  do  we 
know  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  soul-energy, 
or  that  there  are  inner  forces?  How  do  we 
know?  We  know  as  we  know  everything  in 
life.  We  have  to  follow  the  same  methods. 
How  do  you  know  the  different  details  of  a 
machine?  You  study  that  machine.  You  fol- 
low three  processes — that  is,  three  steps  you 
must  take  in  everything.  First  of  all,  you 
get  hold  of  a  book,  or  you  go  to  a  person  who 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  AND  DIRECT  IT  17 

knows  about  the  machine  and  you  ask  him 
questions.  You  look  over  different  descrip- 
tions of  the  details  of  the  machine,  then  you 
think  for  yourself;  you  judge  for  yourself 
You  revolve  all  these  details  within  your  mind. 
You  analyse,  and  gradually  you  begin  to  han- 
dle the  machine  yourself — practical  experience 
you  must  acquire. 

For  instance,  if  you  want  to  know  about 
electricity,  what  do  you  do?  You  get  hold  of 
a  book  on  the  subject  of  electricity.  Then  you 
go  to  a  professor  and  receive  instruction.  Then 
you  go  to  the  laboratory  and  handle  different 
machines  and  study  them. 

Suppose  you  want  to  learn  music,  you  fol- 
low the  same  process.  And  it  is  the  same  with 
this  subject  of  the  inner  consciousness.  First 
of  all,  you  have  to  study ;  you  must  read  books, 
or  you  must  consult  some  persons  who  know. 
Would  you  believe  blindly?  Would  you  ac- 
cept blindly  that  which  they  tell  you?  No. 
In  no  study  must  we  accept  anything  blindly. 
Blind  belief  does  not  lead  us  anywhere.  We 
must  search  thoroughly  without  any  fear. 
Truth  can  stand  all  the  tests  of  analysis,  all 
the  tests  of  observation.  And  if  it  is  not  truth, 
it  can  not  stand  the  test.  So  always  keep  the 
reasoning  faculty,  or  power  of  analysis  sharp- 
ened, ready  to  observe,  ready  to  understand, 


18  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

ready  to  reason  out.  At  every  point  you  must 
reason.  And  the  more  is  this  true  with  regard 
to  the  study  of  these  inner  things.  Why  ?  Be- 
cause there  are  so  many  dangers  and  difficul- 
ties in  studying  these  inner  things.  Many 
promising  lives  have  been  failures  owing  to  a 
lack  of  proper  understanding,  owing  to  ignor- 
ance, owing  to  indiscriminate  search  or  indis- 
criminate investigation.  You  cannot  be  too 
cautions — you  cannot  be  too  careful  in  study- 
ing these  things. 

These,  then,  are  the  steps  you  have  to  take. 
First,  study  and  go  to  a  person  who  has 
studied  these  things  and  who  knows  these 
things.  In  every  book  you  will  notice  you  are 
asked  to  go  to  a  teacher.  As  you  need  a  teach- 
er in  different  fields  of  knowledge,  so  you  need 
a  teacher  in  this  field  too,  and  the  more  so  be- 
cause the  objects  which  you  are  going  to  learn, 
the  principles  which  you  are  going  to  master, 
are  so  subtle.  Machines  you  can  handle  pro- 
perly, because  they  are  external  things.  You 
can  grasp  them.  You  can  see  them.  But  in 
studying  this  subject  you  have  to  study  that 
which  is  very  subtle,  which  is  very  fine.  That 
is  why  you  need  more  care.  You  need  the 
help,  you  need  the  guidance  of  some  one  who 
is  an  expert  teacher.  And  then  you  analyse 
yourself  and  reason — always  reason.    But  do 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  AMD  DIRECT  IT  19 

not  bring  that  sort  of  skepticism  into  your  life 
which  is  dangerous,  which,  as  it  were,  clogs 
up  all  the  channels  of  experience,  which  cov- 
ers, or  shuts  up,  all  the  avenues  of  knowledge, 
which  makes  one  give  up  the  search  without 
proper  study  and  investigation.  Do  not  be- 
come skeptical  in  that  way.  Many  have  a  ten- 
dency to  become  skeptical  and  give  up  the 
search.  We  have  no  honest  right  to  demand 
any  knowledge  unless  we  have  studied  pro- 
perly, or  investigated  closely.  So  open  your 
mind,  your  heart,  your  soul  to  conviction.  At 
the  same  time,  do  not  take  anything  for  grant- 
ed, but  be  ready  to  learn.  Always  be  recep- 
tive, always  be  responsive.  Then  we  have  to 
apply  certain  direct  means;  we  have  to  follow 
certain  practical  methods  in  order  to  accom- 
plish our  purpose. 

Now,  of  all  the  different  methods  which  are 
handed  down  to  us  from  the  great  sages  and 
masters,  one  method  is  important,  and  that  is 
concentration.  Why  is  concentration  upheld 
as  a  great  method?  Can  we  not  awaken  the 
inner  consciousness  by  prayer,  by  worship,  by 
devotion,  by  Divine  love,  and  in  many  other 
ways?  Certainly,  we  can.  But  in  the  path  of 
concentration  we  can  rise  step  by  step — it  is 
the  most  scientific  method.  Of  course  every 
path  can  be  made  scientific  we  may  say,  or 


20  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

every  path  can  be  followed  step  by  step.  True. 
But  we  can  combine  certain  methods.  Take, 
for  instance,  devotion.  Devotion  is  a  great 
thing.  The  love  for  an  ideal,  we  need ;  it  is  im- 
portant; in  this  country  it  is  necessary.  But 
if  we  allow  ourselves  to  be  carried  away  by 
heightened  emotions,  or  by  wrought-up  feel- 
ings, we  may  develop  fanaticism.  There  have 
been  instances  in  which  devotion,  love,  Divine 
love — when  not  combined  with  proper  concen- 
tration, or  proper  analysis — have  landed  per- 
sons in  the  realm  of  emotionalism,  or  sentimen- 
tality, or  fanaticism.  They  are  led  into  the 
realm  of  bigotry  and  narrowness  and  carried 
away  by  these  things.  So  try  to  balance  devo- 
tion, with  proper  reasoning  and  it  will  be  a 
great,  helpful  method.  True  prayer  can  open 
up  our  inner  communion  and  help  us  to  unfold. 
Pure  self-analysis  is  another  method.  But  con- 
centration has  been  found  to  be  very  helpful 
for  many,  many  people — for  the  majority  of 
people — if  it  can  be  followed  under  the  guid- 
ance of  proper  teachers  and  if  it  can  be  fol- 
lowed methodically.  But  some  might  say  that 
there  is  danger  in  concentration.  There  is  no 
danger  in  concentration.  Consciously  or  un- 
consciously we  apply  it  in  every  field  of  knowl- 
edge. Without  concentartion  what  can  you 
do?     As  Emerson  said,  "The  one  prudence  in 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  AND  DIRECT  IT  21 

life  is  concentration;  the  one  evil  is  dissipa- 
tion." In  war,  in  politics,  in  business,  in  trade, 
in  the  management  of  all  commercial  and  so- 
cial affairs,  concentration  is  the  secret  of  suc- 
cess. 

And  what  is  meant  by  concentration?  Con- 
centration includes  two  things.  One  is  gath- 
ering up  scattered  energies;  another  is  focuss- 
ing these  scattered  energies  of  mind. 

As  I  explained,  outer  consciousness  means 
this:  We  are  dependent  on  the  senses  and  out- 
ward things.  That  is,  when  we  try  to  think 
of  inner  things,  we  are  held  back  by  our  de- 
pendence on  things  external.  We  are  all  the 
time  living  in  these  external  impressions,  and 
cannot  enter  into  the  inner  realm  of  under- 
standing. 

And  how  does  concentration  help  us?  Con- 
centration helps  us  to  withdraw  our  scattered 
minds  from  different  directions.  The  mind  has 
been  scattered.  It  wanders  among  various 
objects,  which  are  impressions  in  our  minds. 
The  mind  has  been  divided,  and  thus  mental 
energy  is  dissipated.  Very  little  energy  is  left 
for  the  accomplishment  of  the  real  ideals  in 
life.  But  gradually  we  learn  by  concentration 
how  to  withdraw  the  scattered  forces  of  the 
mind  and  how  to  focus  them  upon  the  chosen 
ideal. 


22  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

There  are  many  details,  but  I  am  only  men- 
tioning the  most  important  points. 

When,  through  proper  training  and  daily 
practice,  one  is  able  to  learn  how  to  gather  up 
the  wandering  mind,  and  withdraw  these  dif- 
ferent powers  of  the  mind  from  different 
sources  and  focus  them  on  one  thing,  then  so 
much  energy  has  been  combined,  as  it  were,  and 
we  can  accomplish  something.  Otherwise,  so 
much  of  our  energy  has  been  dissipated. 

Regarding  the  difficulties  and  dangers  of  con- 
centration, let  me  mention  that  there  are  diffi- 
culties in  all  piaths,  in  all  fields  of  knowledge. 
Nothing  worth  achieving  has  been  accomplished 
without  a  little  difficulty,  without  a  little  sacri- 
fice, without  a  little  sincere  and  earnest  effort. 
You  know,  curiosity-seekers  never  reach  any- 
thing in  life.  Those  who  are  sincere  and  earn- 
est searchers  and  seekers  have  gradually  un- 
folded themselves  and  reached  the  higher 
realms  of  understanding.  So  there  is  no  real 
danger  in  concentration.  We  must  start  with 
that  idea,  and  not  be  hasty.  Many  of  us  try  to 
take  things  like  a  pill.  We  take  a  pill,  and  it 
must  accomplish  its  results.  Concentration  is 
not  a  pill — and  we  do  not  know  what  accumu- 
lated experiences  and  impressions  are  at  our 
backs.  Through  different  lives  and  through 
the  present  life  we  have  been  gathering  up  so 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  AND  DIRECT  IT  23 

many  things.  We  are  performing  so  many 
karmas,  as  we  say,  and  we  have  to  eliminate  so 
many  things  in  our  lives.  Through  proper  ef- 
fort we  shall  remove  many  obstacles,  many  dif- 
ficulties, and  our  task  will  become  easier  and 
easier. 

Now,  the  Yogis,  in  figurative  language  call 
this  opening  up  of  the  inner  consciousness  the 
awakening  of  the  Kundalini.  You  will  see — 
if  you  analyse  your  life — that  there  are  a  few 
things  which  are  constantly  holding  your  at- 
tention. The  mind,  as  it  were,  is  drawn  into 
certain  realms.  As  I  explained  in  the  begin- 
ning, sense  perceptions  are  in  different  forms 
and  include  many  things — our  eating,  our 
drinking,  all  sorts  of  habits  and  many  other 
things.  Thus  the  best  of  our  energies  are  swal- 
lowed up,  as  it  were,  by  these  things.  The 
Yogis  claim  that  the  nerve  centers — the  lower 
nerve  centers — have  absorbed  these  energies 
and  the  energies  are  chained  there,  or  enslaved 
there,  and  you  have  to  release  them.  There 
are  two  sides,  the  physiological  and  mental. 
Physiologically,  when  we  begin  to  practise  con- 
centration, this  energy  is  gradually  released 
from  the  lower  centers.  It  is  called  the  awak- 
ening of  Kundalini — coiled-up  energy — energy 
in  latent  form  or  enslaved  form.     Simultan- 


24  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

eously  our  mind  is  released  from  its  impressions 
and  begins  to  work  in  a  higher  realm. 

Time  will  not  permit  me  to  enter  into  the  de- 
tails of  this  subject,  but  I  just  want  to  touch 
upon  some  important  points,  so  that  you  will 
think  and  study  and  investigate  more. 

A  few  points  I  must  try  to  impress  upon  your 
mind.  I  must  repeat  that  first  of  all  these 
things  should  be  studied  under  the  guidance  of 
proper  teachers,  and  secondly,  that  you  need 
not  believe  anything  blindly.  I  want  to  impress 
this  upon  your  mind  because  these  things  are 
established  facts  and  those  who  have  experi- 
enced them  know  these  things.  They  are  not 
the  results  of  mere  speculation,  or  mere  imag- 
ination, because  those  teachers  who  would  try 
to  teach  you  will  tell  you  from  the  beginning 
that  you  have  to  eliminate  all  the  ideas  of 
imagination.  You  must  give  up  imagining 
things.  Many  of  us  have  a  tendency  to  imag- 
ine too  much,  constantly  seeing  visions  and 
other  things.  You  must  eliminate  those  notions 
from  the  beginning,  and  must  try  to  live  in 
realities,  in  facts  and  true  experiences.  So  you 
must  not  accept  anything  credulously,  but  try 
to  study  and  investigate  for  yourself. 

The  Yogis  declare  that  there  is  a  hollow 
canal  in  the  spinal  column,  and  that  the  base  of 
the  spinal  column,  in  the  majority  of  persons,  is 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  AND  DIRECT  IT  25 

closed.  When  these  energies  are  released,  they 
must  find  a  passage  and  they  must  be  allowed 
to  go  through  this  canal,  and  as  this  released 
energy  rises  into  higher  and  higher  centers,  we 
enter  into  inner  and  inner  stages  of  illumina- 
tion. And  when  that  energy  reaches  the  brain 
— the  highest  center,  the  pineal  gland — there 
the  illumination  becomes  absolute;  that  is,  we 
reach  that  pure  state  of  consciousness  of  which 
I  have  spoken  . 

You  will  find  as  you  progress  that  there  are 
physiological  experiences  and  mental  experi- 
ences. As  we  have  physiological  experiences 
we  shall  see  that  the  whole  nervous  system  is 
changing.  Our  bodies  are  full  of  vibrating  cur- 
rents. Our  whole  life  is  full  of  vibrating  cur- 
rents, and  we  must  know  how  to  direct  them, 
how  to  adjust  them.  And  that  is  why  I  said 
the  teachers  would  ask  you  to  give  up  that 
idea  of  imagining  things.  We  imagine  and 
speculate  too  much.  We  must  not  accept  any- 
thing unless  it  is  realized,  and  that  is  why  the 
student  must  be  properly  directed. 

And  why  is  it  necessary  that  the  student 
should  be  directed?  Because  of  ignorance  of 
the  subtle  forces  involved.  As  these  physio- 
logical experiences  go  on,  layer  after  layer  of 
the  mind  is  opened  up,  but  you  must  let  these 
experiences  alone.  You  must  not  identify  your- 


26  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

self  with  them.  Do  you  not  see  that  in  order 
to  eliminate  these  external  conditions  and  enter 
into  the  inner  realms  of  consciousness,  we  have 
to  rise  above  the  body  consciousness?  There- 
fore, if  we  identify  ourselves  with  these  vibra- 
tions, or  any  kind  of  physiological  experiences, 
we  are  going  against  what  we  are  trying  to  ac- 
complish. "We  would  be  inconsistent.  So  put 
the  chemicals  together  and  let  the  crystalliza- 
tion take  care  of  itself.  Gradually  the  latent 
energy  awakens,  and  the  energy  working  in 
the  life  is  concentrated.  Gradually  you  will 
see  a  new  vista  of  knowledge  and  wisdom  open- 
ing before  you.  A  new  land,  a  new  realm  of 
experience  is  coming  to  you,  and  that  needs  the 
master  mind.  Instead  of  allowing  ourselves  to 
become  enslaved  again  by  these  conditions,  we 
must  rise  above  them  as  the  master.  We  must 
become  the  director.  Instead  of  allowing  the 
mind  to  take  the  reins,  we  must  take  the  reins 
in  our  own  hands.  You,  as  part  of  the  Divine 
Spirit,  have  that  mastery  and  power.  You 
have  that  strength  within  you,  and  you  are  go- 
ing to  be  the  director.  And  so  you  have  to  tell 
the  mind  and  the  senses  and  the  little  things  in 
your  life  that  you  are  the  master.  They  must 
know  who  is  the  master,  and  who  is  going  to 
direct  the  situation.  In  this  way  we  have  to 
direct  properly,  knowing  the  ideal  thoroughly, 


HOW  TO  AWAKEN  AMD  DIRECT  IT  27 

knowing  where  we  are  going,  what  we  are  try- 
ing to  accomplish,  eliminating  all  the  selfish 
ideals,  eliminating  all  the  obstacles  and  diffi- 
culties as  much  as  possible. 

Yes,  there  are  obstacles ;  there  are  difficulties, 
and  we  are  frightened  by  them.  But  you  must 
remember  these  difficulties  and  obstacles  can 
be  overcome.  They  come  to  test  our  strength, 
and  we  overcome  them,  we  unfold  our  latent 
and  dormant  powers.  So  never  give  way. 
Never  give  up  after  you  accept  a  method.  Be 
not  hasty  in  adopting  a  method,  but  once  you 
have  taken  it  up,  follow  it  with  the  utmost  per- 
tinacity. Follow  it  with  that  sincerity  and 
earnestness  of  purpose  necessary  for  accom- 
plishment in  all  walks  of  life  and  in  all  fields 
of  achievement.  And  then  go  on,  day  after 
day,  practising  it,  following  it  with  un-ending 
patience  and  perseverance. 

Gradually  a  time  will  come  when  you  will 
see  that  there  is  a  realm,  or  there  are  different 
realms  of  inner  consciousness  which  are  being 
unfolded  to  you.  By  degrees  you  will  come  to 
that  state  of  Divine  illumination  which  will 
make  you  really  blessed.  The  blessedness  of 
that  state  cannot  be  described — it  must  be  felt 
— it  must  be  experienced. 

I  will  conclude  this  topic  with  the  admoni- 
tion that  we  must  be  absolutely  sincere,  and 


28  THE  INNER  CONSCIOUSNESS 

we  must  not  apply  these  things  in  any  other 
way  than  for  spiritual  unfoldment.  There  is 
the  danger.  We  have  a  tendency  to  apply 
them  in  different  realms — lower  states — and  for 
selfish  purposes.  We  must  avoid  that.  To 
many,  you  must  remember,  it  may  be  a  life 
task.  For  many,  it  may  take  several  lives. 
Some  may  accomplish  'it  in  a  few  years.  To 
others,  again — persons  of  sincerity  and  stead- 
factness — it  may  come  quickly.  But  whatever 
time  it  takes,  we  must  be  determined  and  we 
must  start  with  this  idea,  that  even  before  pass- 
ing away  from  this  life,  we  will  reach  a  very 
high  state  of  consciousness,  and  we  will  un- 
fold that  Divine,  cosmic,  universal,  absolute 
consciousness,  which  alone  can  make  us  really 
happy  and  blessed. 


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